Kenya's Oil Boom: An Agenda for Reform In 2012, Kenya joined the group of East African countries with recent significant oil and gas discoveries. The discoveries and their development come at a time of profound change in Kenya with the implementation of a new constitution, a new government, and political and fiscal devolution. Kenya is currently developing the policy and legal framework to manage and regulate the sector and is making crucial decisions about how oil revenues will be shared. Expectations for benefits are high, both in Turkana County, where Tullow and partners have discovered oil, as well as on the coast. Kenyan President Kenyatta has pledged full transparency for the petroleum sector, including disclosure of petroleum contracts. The World Bank has committed $50 million to the Kenyan government provide technical assistance to help manage policy development and implementation.

This event marks the Washington launch of a new report by Oxfam partner the Kenyan Civil Society Platform on Oil and Gas. The report, "Setting the Setting The Agenda For The Development Of Kenya's Oil And Gas Resources", outlines the steps that the Kenyan government, companies and donors must take to help ensure that this oil windfall is not wasted.